The Inlaks-Ravi Sankaran Grant for Field Biology, Ecology & Conservation / The Inlaks-Ravi Sankaran Internship for Field Biology, Ecology & Conservation

What the Inlaks-Ravi Sankaran programmes give you

The Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation runs two separate awards in field biology, ecology and conservation. Both are named after the Indian ornithologist Dr Ravi Sankaran. The Grant gives you up to about 3,300 EUR (INR 300,000) per year as seed money to run your own small research or conservation project in India for up to one year. If your pilot works, you can apply for follow-up funding. The Internship instead pays up to about 9,000 EUR (USD 10,000) in total. This covers a living allowance, any internship fees and your return flights for a placement abroad. That placement lasts 6 weeks to 3 months at a university research group, NGO, government agency or other conservation organisation, and must start within nine months of the award. One to two interns are chosen per round.

Who can apply

• Nationality and residence: You are an Indian citizen (Indian passport holder for the Internship) currently living in India.
• Age: You were born on or after 1 January 1996.
• Degree: You hold at least a Bachelor's degree. For the Internship it can be in any subject.
• Field and track record: You can show a real interest in field biology, ecology and wildlife conservation through past involvement, and you can explain how this opportunity will help conservation in India.
• Approach: The Foundation especially wants young applicants with bold, unconventional ideas for solving conservation problems.

How to apply

You fill in the online application form on the Foundation's website through the "Apply Now" button, which only appears while a round is open. For the Internship you also need an acceptance letter from your host organisation and two reference letters. An expert committee screens all applications. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an online interview, which together with your proposal decides the outcome.

How realistic are your chances?

Both awards are cut narrowly. You must be a young Indian citizen with a degree and a genuine, evidenced background in conservation, so the eligible group is already small. The Internship funds only one or two people per cycle, making it the more contested of the two. If you clearly fit the criteria and bring a strong, original project idea with a real link to conservation in India, your prospects are good.